In the last post, I explained how basic economics and Democratic policies are what’s behind the sharp rise of gasoline prices. But there’s another factor to consider, one that acts as a buffer to keep your fuel bill high: taxes. The combination of federal, state, and local taxes adds up to a considerable portion of the price you pay.

Here’s a map from the American Petroleum Institute that shows the average tax burden in each state; the national average is 48.1 cents per gallon:

Click the map for the full-sized PDF

So keep this in mind, the next time your eyes bug out at the price on the pump: a huge portion of the money you’re shelling out is due to government actions that distort supply-and-demand — and the punitive levels of taxation in many states*.

You may have noticed that gas prices have gone in recent months — 30 cents per gallon on average in the last month alone. Since rising gas prices tend to hurt the party in power, the Democrats have decided the answer is not to do what it takes to bring prices down, but launch a witch hunt. Connecticut’s Senator Richard Blumenthal (D)(1) has gone so far as to suggest a grand jury:

President Obama and the Justice Department last week announced a multi-agency task force to explore whether there is price manipulation or fraud afoot, and the role of speculative trading in energy futures.

Blumenthal, Connecticut’s former attorney general, said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that federal officials need to play hardball.

“I commend and applaud the president for focusing on this issue but I think there really needs to be an investigation involving, for example, subpoenas and compulsory process which I used as attorney general in similar investigations. There needs to be very possibly a grand jury to uncover the potential wrongdoing,” said Blumenthal, who was elected to the Senate last year.

“The Justice Department should take the lead, seize this moment and send a message, a very strong deterrent message that this country will not tolerate the kind of illegal speculation and trading and hedge fund activity that may be driving prices up,” he added.

I’ve often said that to be a liberal Democrat or progressive requires one to surrender any knowledge of basic economics and embrace ignorance, but I don’t think Blumenthal is ignorant, here. Rather, as gas prices approach $5 per gallon in some parts of the country, Democrats, and Blumenthal is just the latest example of Democratic demagoguery on this, have resorted to blaming witchcraft greedy oil companies and wealthy people(2), because they dare not admit as we head into election season that, in accordance with immutable economic laws(3), their own policies have largely contributed to the rise, thus making the voting public miserable and likely to take it out on Democrats.

Let’s review:

First, several of the major world suppliers of oil (aka The Middle East and North Africa) are undergoing a period of turmoil and revolt that makes oil supplies uncertain. This potential for disrupted supply means that buyers (us included) have to pay more to compete for oil from other areas, because of the greater demand.

On top of that, thanks to the Luddites of the environmental movement, the United States has failed to extract enough of its own oil and refine its own gas to keep up with its needs, thus meaning we need to buy more on the open market, further driving up prices.

This is something called “supply and demand,” a law the Democrats just hate, because it makes them face the consequences of their actions, such as:

A “permitorium” meant to block almost any new exploration and drilling off our coasts or on land, even in defiance of a federal judge’s order, while at the same time driving up the cost of doing what business is allowed — or even when doing nothing.

These and other administration actions —deliberate choices done in full knowledge of what will happen– drive up the price of fuel for all of us. The Democrats know this and they know the public will get angry and thus hammer them on Election Day because of it.

Hence the appearance of tools and flunkies like Blumenthal on the talk-show circuit, trying to distract us by blaming corporations, “speculators,” and price gougers for a problem they themselves set in motion. They’ve taken their lead from Obama and, dagnabbit, they’re going to follow it right off that electoral cliff.

Go ahead, guys, treat us as if we’re ignorant rubes, and then the adults can clean up your mess when they take charge in 2013.

Jeez, is this guy tone-deaf, or what? President Obama was at a town-hall meeting in Bucks County, PA, to tout his plans for energy independence* when a citizen peasant complained to him about high gas prices:

“Gas prices? They’re going to still fluctuate until we can start making these broader changes, and that’s going to take a couple of years to have serious effect,” Obama said.

Obama needled one questioner who asked about gas prices, now averaging close to $3.70 a gallon nationwide, and suggested that the gentleman consider getting rid of his gas-guzzling vehicle.

“If you’re complaining about the price of gas and you’re only getting 8 miles a gallon, you know,” Obama said laughingly. “You might want to think about a trade-in.”

Because, Lord knows, we can all just run out and buy a new or new-used car whenever we want in this great economy, especially with fuel prices surging** and the Cash for Clunkers program having artificially jacked-up the prices on used cars. And it’s not as if this uppity peon might need to spend the money on something else, such as a mortgage, kids’ expenses, food (with prices going up on that, too), etc.

And what’s with this “8 miles a gallon” nonsense? As Ed Morrissey points out, passenger cars haven’t had that kind of mileage since the 1970s.

We’ve gone from Bill Clinton, a president who famously said he feels our pain, to Barack Obama, who mocks an American’s sincerely felt worries. Way to go, sir. That’s really going to help your reelection chances in Pennsylvania, a state you desperately need.